The countdown to Christmas has began with the start of Advent.

I really enjoy the lead up to Christmas, and on my list of favourite Christmassy things to do is to visit Christmas craft fairs and markets.

Today I had the joy of visiting one of my favourite Christmas Markets in Winchester.

It was bitterly cold! But the warm ambiance and selection of goodies lined up in pretty wooden chalets, in the Cathedral close, made the visit certainly worth while.

Visiting Winchester Christmas Market has become a bit of a tradition in my family that we started a few of years ago. We found a lovely welcoming pub last year called the  Wykeham Arms which has a lovely menu to tempt you for lunch and dinner. A warm lunch with a glass of mulled wine, was much needed to give us the energy to survive the freezing blasts of around -3 degrees. I must say we felt very sorry for the stall holders, who did an amazing job to keep their spirits high for their customers.

The exhibitors included pretty wooden decorations, jewellery, photographic prints, stained glass designs,  rustic country gifts, pampering gifts and so on. I was happy to see one of my favourite exhibitors was there -  Somerset Lavender! I can never resist their beautifully scented candles and handcream. We also enjoyed Henry and Primrose who specialise in lovely rustic Christmas decorations. This year we also came across a beautiful display of  pewter jewellery and gifts inspired by nature from – Glover and Smith. The designs were stunning!

Winchester is a beautiful city to visit, and the delicate Christmas lighting that lined the streets, made it quite magical. There are many cafes and bars that you can visit for a warming drink and restaurants galore to tempt you.

Winchester Christmas Market runs from the 25th November – 19th December.

Times

Sunday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm

Friday – Saturday 10 am – 8 pm

To see the range of exhibitors please visit the markets website for further details – Winchester Christmas Market exhibitors

I encourage you to go, as I am sure you will have a lovely time

Do you have a favourite Christmas Market?

Anita